Europe’s Zero Pollution Ambition: Cities and Citizens Driving Action for Clean Air

ava Zekri

Bloomberg

Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris

Mayor of Paris

On 2014, Anne Hidalgo became the first woman to be elected Mayor of Paris. She was born in Spain and acquired the French citizenship in her youth, she is a mother of three. After she graduated with a Master of Advanced Studies in social law, she became a labor inspector. She has been a member of the socialist party since 1994, serving as national Secretary for Culture and Media, she later was in charge of the vocational training. From 1997 to 2002, she worked as an adviser in three Minister’s cabinets, under Lionel Jospin Government. She served as Paris First Deputy Mayor of Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, for thirteen years, in charge of gender equality at first then of urban Planning and Architecture. She led the Parisian left coalition to victory in 2004 and 2010. She was re-elected mayor of Paris in 2020, heading the left-wing coalition Paris en commun, pursuing an ambitious program designed to transform Paris into a zero-carbon city by 2050. She holds the position of First Vice President of the Greater Paris Metropolitan Area. As Paris mayor, she actively pursues a policy based on social inclusion, sustainable development, climate change, air quality, solidarity, innovation and citizen participation, all of which are essential issues for the future of Paris. She is committed to advancing these issues at the international level. She organized in Paris the climate summit for local leaders, a major side event of COP21 (December 2015). For its fifth anniversary a “Zero carbon Forum” was held at Paris City Hall (December 2020), alongside with many international events. Some programs launched under the supervision of Paris, such as Cities for Life, Reinventing Paris, the Participatory budget, Embellishing Paris… are now benchmark programs. She wishes to shape Paris into a 15-minute city, an ambitious, inclusive, quantifiable and efficient program that places citizens at the center of urban transition. From 2016 to 2019, she chaired C40 Cities Leadership Group, which consists of 90 megacities committed to address climate change. Within C40 she launched Women4climate initiative in New York (March 2017) and a plan for air quality in Paris Air’Volution (March 2017). In collaboration with other cities and international agencies she started the Global urban Air Pollution Observatory (GUAPO). In 2019, she also launched the Justice4Climate initiative, in the wake of a ruling of the European Court of Justice confirming that the cities of Paris, Brussels and Madrid are entitled to challenge vehicle emission regulations set by the European Commission and adopted by governments of member states. She is President of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF), Co-Chair of the cities world organization, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) where she chairs the gender equality commission, and also President of SOLIDEO, an Olympic Equipment Supply Company, responsible for the supply program and development operations for the organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2024 in Paris. She has published several essays (available in French only) Une femme dans l'arène, co-written with Jean-Bernard Senon, Du Rocher, 2006 Travail au bord de la crise de nerfs, co-written with Jean-Bernard Senon, Flammarion, 2010 Mon combat pour Paris : quand la ville ose, Flammarion, 2013 Respirer, Editions de l’Observatoire, 2018

Rafał Trzaskowski

Mayor of the City of Warsaw

Rafał Trzaskowski was born on 17 January 1972 in Warsaw. Mayor of Warsaw (elected on 21 October 2018), Member of the 8th term of the Polish Parliament, Vice-Chairman of the EU Committee, Vice-Chair of the European People’s Party, analyst and academic teacher. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (EU Affairs) and Prime Minister's European Council Plenipotentiary in PM Ewa Kopacz's government. In charge of governmental European policy, involved in key EU negotiations, i.a. on sanctions against Russia and energy security. Minister of Administration and Digitization in PM Tusk's government (2013-2014), responsible for digitization, including online data protection, cybersecurity and online access for people with disabilities. Supervisor of province governors (voivodes), coordinated disaster relief services. Member of the European Parliament and of the Constitution Committee between 2009 and 2013. Involved in the EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 negotiations, under which the European Union has allocated EUR 82.5 billion to Poland. He also served at the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, where he dealt with e-commerce, consumer laws, and public procurement. Between 2004 and 2009, he was Advisor to Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and to the European Parliament Delegation of the Civic Platform. Academic teacher at Collegium Civitas, Warsaw (since 2000) and the National School of Public Administration (1998-2009). Long-standing analyst at the Natolin European Center. In 2004 he was awarded a PhD degree from the Warsaw University Institute of International Relations for his thesis: “The dynamics of reforming the decision-making system of the European Union”. He is shortlisted for the World Mayor 2021

Alain Maron

Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region

Alain Maron is Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, in charge of the Climate Transition, Environment, Energy, Social Affairs and Health. Graduated in economic and social policy, he is strongly dedicated to improving the quality of life in his city, which led him to become a member of the Belgian Green Party and to be elected as a member of the Brussels regional Parliament from 2009 to 2019. As Minister for the Environment and Health, he is particularly aware of the strong interlinkages between the environmental and health issues, which is a dimension that he tries to integrate into the ambitious policies that the Brussels Government is implementing. By placing Brussels at the forefront of the the fight against climate change, but also by ensuring that this ambitious transition is just, Mr. Maron aims to make Brussels more sustainable, while protecting the environment and the health of its inhabitants, and especially the most vulnerable among them.

Regine Gunther

Senator Günther, Berlin

Regine Günther has been a member of the Berlin Senate since 2016 and is responsible for the environment, transport and climate protection. She is a member of the German Green Party Bündnis 90/Die Grünen.   Regine Günther was born in Kaiserslautern in 1962. She studied political science in Heidelberg, Madrid and Berlin and afterwards held various professional positions, most recently at the WWF. There, she initially headed the Directorate for Climate Protection and Energy before taking on the role of Director General for Policy and Climate.   Regine Günther’s political work is based on the goal of transforming Berlin into a more livable and climate-friendly place. To this end, the mobility transition – with the expansion of public transport as well as the roll-out of new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure – is the most important building block, along with the coal phase-out by 2030, the strengthening of Berlin’s urban nature and many other projects.   Berlin is on its way to meeting the Paris climate target and becoming climate neutral by 2050 (the latest).

Francine Lacqua

Editor-at-Large

Bloomberg TV

Francine Lacqua is an award-winning London-based anchor for Bloomberg Television. She co-anchors daily weekday program “Bloomberg Surveillance: Early Edition,” where she provides insight on foreign policy, global markets and the top business stories of the day. She also presents “Leaders with Lacqua,” a special series where she sits down with top CEOs, entrepreneurs and public figures. Additionally, she anchors “ETF IQ Europe” weekly. Since joining Bloomberg in 2000, Lacqua has covered the World Economic Forum in Davos, IMF in Washington, G20 meetings, the EU Leaders Summit and OPEC. She also led Bloomberg Television’s coverage of the Italian and French elections where she was one of the first international reporters to interview cabinet members. While at Bloomberg, Lacqua has interviewed high-profile figures such as French President Emmanuel Macron, ECB President Christine Lagarde, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, Billionaire financier George Soros and former ECB President Mario Draghi. She has also interviewed finance ministers from South Korea, Russia, France, Mexico, Italy and Greece, as well as moderating televised debates from the World Economic Forum in Davos and the European Economic Governance package. In 2018, Lacqua received the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy (Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia). The decoration, honoring Italians living abroad who promote national prestige and co-operation with the nation, was presented by the Italian Ambassador Raffaele Trombetta on behalf of the president of Italy. In 2013 Lacqua won ‘International TV Personality of the Year’ at the AIB Media Awards. She was previously nominated in 2009 and 2010. In 2012, she was part of the Bloomberg team that won the OPEC award for ‘Public Interest Reporting’. She has an LLB in English law from King’s College in London and earned her undergraduate degree at the Sorbonne. She is fluent in French and Italian.